AS the hottest tourist destination in Europe, expect Spain to be swarming with foreign youth visitors as spring break in the United States commences. And it’s not just the youth who will be coming here but also adult visitors including newly-retired folks from England. They like it here in Spain especially during spring time because there are lots of floras here which bloom flowers of varying colors during this period of the year. Isn’t that spectacular to look at? And if that is not reason enough for you to come here, consider the climate. As spring rolls in Spain, temperatures here tend to get warmer than the rest of Europe especially along the 300 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline in the southeastern seaboard of the country. In fact, the hottest tourist destination for the youth here is the island of Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic archipelago; a group of islands in the Mediterranean located southeast off the Spanish mainland in the Iberian Peninsula.

Among those who have come to Spain just in time for spring is United States-based English celebrity couple David and Victoria Beckham. David Beckham is no stranger to Spain though as he has been captain ball for Real Madrid for so many seasons. The couple trooped to the Pyrenees to have a skiing holiday here. They deduced it correctly that is more fun to go to the Pyrenees during spring because it’s too cold there during winter. If you are planning to ski in the Pyrenees this spring, always remember to don the appropriate gear. Even though it’s not winter anymore, you still need to wear layers and layers of clothing. Your usual outerwear will then become your underwear. And remember not to don anything cottony because cotton tends to absorb moisture which will seep into your body, making you even colder. Also, never ever attempt to ski or even drive an automobile drunk. Party only after your skiing session.

And remember, you are in for a big party for it’s not just individuals or groups who come here in the Pyrenees to ski and party. Even corporate advertisers have recognized the Pyrenees as superb backdrops in their advertisements. That’s why recently; Subaru has shot a commercial here. And because Spain is a signatory of the Schengen agreement, you can whisk here via Toulouse international airport in France without really strict immigration checks if you’re a European.

SPAIN has long been the bastion of tourists from Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, France, Holland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, Switzerland and all those Scandinavian countries up north that I have failed to mention. Little do we know that there are also lots of Chinese who are here both as tourists and as permanent residents. On this day of the Chinese New Year, we pay ode to our Chinese brethren who have lived a successful life here in Spain.

There are roughly 100,000 Chinese-Spanish in the country. Half of them have been Christianized while half still follow the traditions of Confucianism such as feng shui. There is one interesting fact that I’m telling you – the Philippines used to be a colony of Spain. And there are lots of Chinese-Filipinos in the country. Some of these Chinese-Filipinos ultimately migrate to Spain and their descendants have married Spaniards and have remained as citizens of Spain to this day. They call the Chinatowns here in Spain as barrio chinos. Over the years, the barrio chinos have even received infrastructural subsidy from the federal Chinese government and these barrio chinos have been transformed into Western-style suburbia similar to the neighborhoods you see in Desperate Housewives. The only difference is you can see that familiar and dominating pagoda at the entrance of each Chinese subdivision.

Most of these barrio chinos are found in such cities as Madrid and Barcelona. In short, the Chinese do not like to stick in the Mediterranean coastlines such as Costa del Sol or Valencia City or even in other territories offshore like Palma de Mallorca. There is no coherent reason for this peculiarity. It’s maybe because these Mediterranean resorts have been established only relatively recently during the time of Francisco Franco’s regime in the 1960s while the Chinese immigrants have long been here since the 1700s when Spain was still a superpower at the Far East. Madrid and Barcelona were only the two known urban centers at the time. Of course, the Chinese-Spanish here in Madrid and Barcelona are completely embedded in Spanish culture. Like the native Spaniards, they also enjoy bullfighting and are learning flamenco music even at the age of five.

But then again, staying in Spain is still a paradise as compared to staying in China. When you compare the temperature even in the Pyrenees during the peak of winter, it certainly pales compared to the temperature in China. If you experience shivering 5 degrees Celsius at the Pyrenees, the temperature in China at this point of the year is already at -5 degrees Celsius.

Another interesting fact between Spanish-Chinese relationship is the peculiar status of the Spanish embassy in Beijing. The Spanish embassy in Beijing is usually the refuge of North Koreans who want political asylum. Because China has diplomatic relations with North Korea, many North Koreans can easily cross into China. Once they have entered the country, they go to the Spanish embassy where they seek political asylum. It is in these affairs of state that the Spanish and Chinese governments are coordinating immensely.